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Delphinarium at Pitti

Busy bees

The eyes have it

Mirror mirror - very Snow White

Marie Antoinette meets Dali

Delfina Delettrez's imagination seems to know no bounds. The pieces on show at Delphinarium - her new exhibition at Galleria Antonella Villanova on the Palazzo Ricasoli in Florence - included baubles in the shape of crabs, mouths and eyes, displayed in all manner of exciting and, at times, uncomfortable, ways, such as in the centre of a bee-hive, or on a rotating decapitated mannequin head. Perusing the display was like entering the famous Dali museum in Figueres - everything planned to perfection, but nothing predictable.

Similarly inspiring was the sumptuous setting, with the exhibition spanning four rooms of the historical building. Delettrez had worked closely with the space to ensure that each installation was presented in the perfect context - she told me 'the collections and the settings have the same importance' - and to ensure that the original visions behind each different collection were clear. The pieces on display were taken from a range of her series including Roll-in-Stone, inspired by Iain Banks' macabre book The Wasp Factory and Metalphysic, driven by Rome's beautiful architecture. She informed me that the rickety rotating green metal installation that housed a lot of her pieces captured her imagination because 'the movement of the machine makes the pieces look like they are in a dance. A mechanical dance! The mechanics of the machine inspired me to work on the mechanics of the body.'

Delettrez has been producing jewellery for over five years. An offspring of the famous Fendi familia, creativity (and exotic luxury!) is in Delettrez's blood. But really, a child of the family who produced the infamous lust-item that is that Baguette bag shouldn't have any trouble turning her own hand to making fabulous accessories!

But what drew this nice young girl to create such dark, subversive pieces? 'I love surrealism because it allows you to really follow the inner part of you, your imagination. And if you play with irony, there are no limits to the possibilities you can explore. With irony and surrealism combined you can go go go!'

We at SHOWstudio are particularly fond of Delettrez's works. Those of you with a beady eye may remember that some of the pieces above featured in our luxury jewellery-cum-menagerie photo-shoot, Pussycat, Pussycat from earlier this year! So what's the store for the future? 'Colour', she assured me. 'Lots of colour'. We can't wait!